More than 100 undergraduates at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will receive $1,000 grants to conduct original research, creative works, and community service projects this year as part of the university’s Signature Experience Award Program.

Award winners will complete their signature experiences by the end of the 2019 spring semester and present their work at the 2019 Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Showcase on April 18.

Students can use their grants to pay expenses related to their projects, which are designed to contribute to their academic development. This year, 144 students applied for the grants, representing an 82 percent increase in applications over last year, said Dr. Jeremy Ecke, chair of the Department of English and director of the Signature Experience program.

Of the 144 applicants, 112 student projects received funding, and an additional 20 unfunded applications were recognized as Honorary Signature Experience projects and applicants were invited to present at the April showcase. To receive an award, undergraduate students must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average and have a faculty member to mentor the project.

“The growth of the Signature Experience over the past two years reflects the serious engagement of our students and faculty in the support and development of undergraduate research and creative endeavors,” Ecke said. “The Signature Experience is a direct embodiment of the university’s five strategic goals: it directs resources toward student success, research, and creative endeavors while fostering community engagement and promoting projects that support diversity and global citizenship.”

This year’s applicants come from all of the university’s colleges and reflect a diverse range of topics. Students are researching topics ranging from breast cancer and traumatic brain injury to soil composition in the Little Rock Zoo, bank erosion in Coleman Creek, adaptation of Micronesian immigrants, and culturally based responses to homelessness in French and U.S. cities.

Chancellor Andrew Rogerson announced the program in 2017 to inspire students to conduct original research and creative projects with guidance of faculty mentors. Last year, 79 students received awards.

Congratulations to the following students:

College of Arts, Letters and Sciences

• Luke Johnson, biology, mentored by John M. Bush. “Phages in different types of water and their effects”
• Kimberly Maurer, English, mentored by Paul Crutcher. “Breaking “Single Story” Silence: Celebrating Positive, Diverse Girlhood”
• Bonnie R. Young, dance, mentored by Stephanie Thibeault. “Fortune Favors the Bold: Confidence in Dance”
• Thuy Le, chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj. “A portable nanosensor for nitroaromatic detection”
• Katherine Ashley Hall, theatre arts, mentored by Yslan Hicks. “Cross-dressing: The Transformative Power of Costumes on Shakespeare’s Stage”
• Robert Hill, chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj. “Tunable Porphyrin Nanoparticles As Combination Drug For Cancer Therapy.”
• Emily Anderson, biology, mentored by Shanzhi Wang. “Enzymatic Characterization of Bgp from B. burgdorferi, the Main Causative Agent in Lyme Disease in the U.S.”
• Reem Al-Shukri, biology, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Plasmonic Nanovectors for Selective Targeting and Killing of Cancer Cells”
• Humam Shahare, biology, mentored by Noureen Siraj and Tito Viswanathan. “Use of Ionic Liquid Electrolyte to Enhance the Supercapacitance of Doped Carbon Materials”
• KateLin Carsrud, English, mentored by Jeffrey Condran. “Braddock Avenue Books Spring Catalogue at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019”
• David Alan Cline, physics, mentored by John Nichols. “Development and Implementation of a Miniature Musical Tesla coil”
• Chandrasimha Reddy Penthala, chemistry and biology, mentored by Wei Zhao. “Synthesis of NiFe-Based Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheets on Nickel Foams for Water-Splitting Electrocatalysis”
• Sarah Harper, art education, mentored by Timothy Garth. “Curating Connections: Museum Skills and Pk-12 Learning Engagement”
• Caleb Alexander-McKinzie, English/legal studies, mentored by Heather Hummel. “Blood Orange Review and Braddock Avenue Books Literary Reading at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019
• Grayson Treat, English, mentored by Heather K. Hummel. “The Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference Undergraduate Resource Guide”
• Madeleine Logan, biology, mentored by Robert Sikes. “Minimizing Stress in Wild vs Domesticated Mammals: The Effects of Anesthesia and Handling Time”
• Bonn Belingon, chemistry, mentored by Shanzhi Wang. “Potential Use of Enzyme Glucose Oxidase (GOx) as an Antimicrobial Agent”
• Tyler Maxwell, biology and chemistry, mentored by Qingfang He. “De novo Biosynthesis of Resveratrol in Metabolically Engineered”
• Madison Brown, English, mentored by Jeffrey Condran. “Presenting the 2019 Equinox Literary Magazine at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019”
• Kathryn Bates, English, mentored by Jeffrey Condran. “Funding Undergraduate Literary Magazines: An Investigation at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference, Portland, Ore., March 2019”
• Noemi Garcia, biology/Spanish, mentored by Stephen Grace. “Gene Discovery for Health Promoting Phytochemicals in the Medicinal Plant Echinacea”
• Jessica Yvonne Ley, theatre arts, mentored by Lawrence D. Smith. “The Default: An Exploration of Heteronormativity through Stage Performance”
• Serena Mykenzie Gordon, theatre arts, mentored by Lawrence D. Smith. “A Theatre of Cruelty Experience”
• Caroline Kornelsen, chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj and Tito Vishwanathan. “Synthesis of a Betaine Ester Surfactant via a Novel “Green” Method of Esterification”
• Grace Young, biology, mentored by Robert Sikes. “Minimizing Stress in Wild vs Domesticated Mammals: The Effects of Anesthesia and Handling Time”
• Jessica L. Morris, biology, mentored by Scott Woolbright. “Evaluating Variation in Soil Composition among Habitats at the Little Rock Zoo”
• Carol Ann Bowerman, biology and chemistry, mentored by Nawab Ali. “The Investigation of Silver-coated Gold Nanorods as an Effective Nano-drug Vessel”.”
• Maxwell Rollins Campbell, biology/music, mentored by Carl R. Stapleton. “Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds on Ostracod Densities in Fourche Creek”
• Arooba Ilyas, biology/chemistry, mentored by Noureen Siraj. “Tea Waste as an Adsorbent for Water Purification”
• Ryan Mann, biology, mentored by Shanzhi Wang. “The Affects of Caspase-1 Cleavage on Alpha-Synuclein”
• Travis Jumper, chemistry, mentored by Anindya Ghosh. “A Novel Synthetic Chemical Pathway for the Formation of Amides”
• Lauren Humphrey, graphic design, mentored by Kevin Cates. “Children’s Bible for residents in Mongu, Zambia”
• Aaron Prosser, graphic design, mentored by Kevin Cates. “Organo Guys Action Figures”
• Tracy V. Cook, English, mentored by Jana McAuliffe. “Brief Thoughts of the 21st Century”
• Tina Hesabizadeh, interdisciplinary studies, mentored by Gregory Guisbiers. “Synthesis of Selenium-based Nanostructures”
• Vardah Asad Sheikh, physics, mentored by Tansel Karabacak. “Nanorod Arrays for Flexible Photodetector Applications”
• Lyle P. Arnett, Physics, mentored by Tansel Karabacak. “Growth of Metal Oxide Nanostructures (MONSTRs) by Hot Water Treatment/Deposition”
• William James Avery King, molecular biotechnology, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Evaluation of Gold Nanoparticles with Various Aspect Ratios for Use as Artificial Extracellular Matrices for Growing Neural Cells”
• Thomas Jackson, theatre arts, mentored by William Marshall. “Scenic design for Fringe Festival”
• Conor Van Lierop, theatre arts, mentored by William Marshall. “Lighting design for the Fringe Festival”
• Brandy Rochelle Mimms, dance performance, mentored by Stephanie Thibeault. “Deaf can Dance.”
• Taylor S. Green, theatre arts and dance, mentored by Lawrence D. Smith, “The Elaine Twelve: Aftermath of the Massacre of 1919”
• Emily Nichole Fendley, French / anthropology and nonprofit leadership studies, mentored by Rosalie M. Cheatham. “Homelessness: Causes, Culturally-based Responses and NGO Engagement in Mid-sized French and US Cities”

College of Education and Health Professions

• Emilia Zsuzsanna Rak, social work, mentored by David J. Namir. “Change Your Days”
• Wesley C. Smith, nursing, mentored by Jeffrey K. Carmack. “An Assessment of Time Spent Teaching Hearing and Non-hearing Patients”
• Tamara J. Martin, communication sciences and disorders, mentored by Dr. Donna J. Kelly. “Investigation of Interdisciplinary Assessment Measures of Acute and Persistent Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) Sequela in Adults”
• Darleene Rua and Michelle Henderson, nursing, mentored by Leigh Snead. “Students’ Perceptions and Skills Performance in Two Student-led Emergency Simulated Scenarios”
• Jessica Swatzel, communication sciences and disorders, mentored by Dana Moser. “Effects of Applying Brain Stimulation during Language Intervention?”
• Darrien Adams, health education and promotion, mentored by Janea Snyder. “Growing Healthy Communities Projects (Wellness Fair & Garden to Grill Cooking Class)”
• Emily Junkans, communication sciences and disorders/ Spanish, mentored by Jeremy Ecke. “Language and Identity: Academic English and International Students”

• Stuti Chatterjee, biology, mentored by Philip H. Williams. “Island project – Automated water quality sensors/wildlife webcam”

College of Business

• Emelie Blennow, marketing, mentored by Dr. Casey Rockwell. “Analysis of Ethical and Legal Implications of Autopilot vehicles. Is Tesla the new Pinto?”
• Maximillian Holzmueller, economics and Finance, mentored by Moiz Bhai. “A Case Study in Agrowponics”
• Alexander Reid Palmer, Human Resource Management, mentored by John Hendon, “Medical Marijuana and Federalism”

College of Social Sciences and Communication

• Nicholas J. Popowich, journalism, mentored by John A. Kirk. “Documenting the Black Power Movement in Arkansas”
• Rhonda Thomas, professional and technical writing, mentored by Heidi Skurat Harris. “Alexander’s Stray Mare: Tracing an Ancestor from Georgia to Pre-territorial Arkansas”

• Julie O’Hara, political science, mentored by Joseph Giammo. “The Effect of Elite Discourses on Secessionist Movements”
• Dylan Wright, political science/Spanish, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “The Language of Truth: Exploring the Discourse of Latin American Truth Commission Recommendations”
• Jordan Wallis, political science, mentored by Rebecca Glazier. “God and Country: Veteran Services in the Little Rock Religious Community”
• Mary Katelyn McBrayer, applied communication, mentored by April Chatham-Carpenter. “Disrupting the Cycle of Mental Illness: Building up Intergenerational Family Resilience through Positive Communication”
• Robin A. Freeman, applied communication, mentored by Avinash Thombre. “Understanding Communication Strategies for Women without Children”
• Octavious Harris, criminal justice/law enforcement, mentored by Trisha N. Rhodes. “Exploring Predictors of Sentencing for Male and Female Prisoners in Arkansas”
• Michael Meziere, criminal justice, mentored by Molly Smith. “Examining the Relationship between Religiosity, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Sexual Misconduct”
• Asiah Bradley, criminal justice and psychology, mentored by Molly Smith. “Correlates of Sexual Misconduct Victims’ Use of Campus Resources”
• Morgan Paige Topping, political science, mentored by Rebecca Glazier. “How Social Media can Increase Participation in Community-based Research: The Case of the Little Rock Congregation Study”
• Rosalinda Roper, political science/international studies, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Exploring Variation in International Response to Refugee Crises”
• Madeline Burke, international studies, mentored by Casey Rockwell. “The Unregulated Regulators”

CSSC & CALS

• Nicole Ursin, anthropology/history, mentored by Juliana Flinn. “Adaptation of Micronesian Immigrants”
• Katherine Roberts, philosophy/interdisciplinary, mentored by Jana McAuliffe. “Diversifying the Discipline: An analysis of the 2019 Arkansas High School Ethics Bowl”
• Emma Beth Williams, professional and technical writing/legal studies, mentored by Jana McAuliffe. “An Axiology of Public Philosophy: A Study in Public Intellectualism”
• Solomon Ra’phael Davis, international studies/philosophy, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Making Human Lives Better: How Material and Symbolic Reparations Improve Post Civil War Peace”

Engineering & Information Technology

• Andrew Mark Cherry, mechanical systems engineering, mentored by Jin Wook Lee. “A Quadcopter with Improved Lift Capabilities”
• Rebecca L. Bishop, geology, mentored by Rene A. Shroat-Lewis. “Monitoring Coral Patch Reefs of San Salvador Island, Bahamas for Diversity and Disease”
• Christopher Flocken, computer science, mentored by Steven Minsker. “Functional Programming Design”
• Lamarcus Coleman, computer science/mathematics, mentored by Mariofanna Milanova. “Applying Deep Reinforcement Learning to Economic Event Prediction”

• Ahmed Alazzawi, systems engineering, mentored by Kamran Iqbal. “Altered Muscle Synergies While Walking Under Higher Postural Constraints”
• Josh Carlat, computer science game option, mentored by Sean Orme. “A Look into the Feasibility of Teaching Game Engine Design at the Undergraduate Level”
• Nikki Mullen, mechanical systems engineering, mentored by Andrew Wright and Alex Biris. “Characterization of Nanoparticle Scaffolding Polymer”
• Luke Tyhurst, information science, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Developing an Online Platform: From Market Research to a Minimum Viable Product”
• Zezhang Lin, computer science, mentored by Chia-Chu Chiang. “Automatic Customization of Web Pages to Enhance User Experience”
• David M. Hough, environmental geology, mentored by Thomas Colby. “Investigating the Age and Significance of a Rare Occurrence of Metagabbro in the Ouachita Mountains, Central Arkansas, USA”
• Jason Spencer, geology, mentored by Michael DeAngelis. “Mineralogical, Petrological and Geochronological Investigation of the Blue Ball Lamproite Dike near Waldron, Arkansas, USA”
• Cody Smith, geology, mentored by Michael DeAngelis. “Reproducing and Improving the Sol-Gel Synthesis of Nanoscale Enstatite (Mg2Si2O6) and Diopside (CaMgSi2O6)”
• Li Zhou Morrow, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design and Development of a Unique Transparent Fishing Tackle Box”

• Michael Tyler Kee, geology, mentored by Laura Ruhl. “Evolution of Contaminants in Weathered Coal Combustion Residuals: an Environmental Case Study”
• Julian Reid Ervin, environmental geology, mentored by Laura Ruhl. “Microplastics in Fourche Creek Wetlands”
• Derrick Fuell, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Srikanth B. Pidugu. “A Novel Macro-mixer for Medical Applications”
• Jacob H. Jackson, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Water Recycling System for a Hydraulic Ram Pump”
• Denver Ellis, computer science, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Improving Versatility of Smart Mirrors Through Facial Recognition and Rotational Measurements”
• Joshua Ray, environmental engineering, mentored by Lashun Massey.“A Novel Collaborative Approach to Addressing Environmental Engineering”
• Kajal Shukla, computer science, mentored by Mariofanna Milanova. “Boosting Deep Learning Risk Prediction for Electronic Health Records”
• Zaire Idalis Husband, computer science/information assurance, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Multi-Factor Authentication”
• Taima Zidan Suid, computer science with mathematics minor, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Multi-Factor Authentication”
• Malik Shakur El-Amin, computer science, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “MockSOC – A prototype Special Operations Center”
• Sam Willis, computer science, mentored by Mariofanna Milanova. “Computer Vision System to Identify and Quantify Waste”
• Chance Melby, computer science, mentored by Jan P. Springer. “Analysis of Red Team Coordination: Finding the Correct Attack Methodology”
• Adam Ness, systems engineering/mathematics, mentored by Marc D. Glidden. “Ramifications of Bank Deserts on Financial Literacy”
• Christopher F. Bohner, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design-for-manufacturing, construction, and testing of a thermochemical system to generate power from municipal solid waste”
• Pablo J. Centeno, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma and Srikanth B. Pidugu. “Pick and place robot”
• Bryan S. Wilson, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design, construction, and testing of a re-designed gasifier”
• Jonathon M. Horn, geology, mentored by Margaret E. McMillan. “Analysis of short-term changes in bank erosion and sediment transport in Coleman Creek, Little Rock, AR, using UAV aerial surveys”
• Patrick W. Paladino, geology, mentored by Margaret E. McMillan. “Analysis of Short-term Changes in Bank Erosion and Sediment Transport in Coleman Creek, Little Rock, AR, Using Field Surveys”
• Mandolin Harris, geology, mentored by Laura Ruhl. “Evolution of Karst Spring Water in the Ozark Mountains: Impacts on Water Quality”
• Elias Perez Reyes, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Srikanth B. Pidugu. “Effective Thermal Conductivity of Open Celled Copper Foam metals”
• Alexandria L. Smith, electronic and computer engineering technology, mentored by Hirak Patangia. “An Evaporative Energy Harvester”
• Sherif A. Selim, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Kailash C. Jajam. “Additive Manufacturing of Multiphase Syntactic Foams Modified with Glass Microballoons and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs)”
• Alex Alvarez, mechanical engineering technology/Spanish, mentored by Sandra Leiterman. “BB-8 in STEM Ed”
• Nigel Kelly, mechanical systems engineering/mathematics, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Fabrication of Hafnium Thin Films for Optical Applications”
• Ashley Strohmeyer, electrical and computer engineering technology, mentored by Alexandru Biris. “Fabrication of Titanium Disilicide Films Using Pulsed Laser Deposition”
• Eric Nelson Sutherland Jr., mechanical systems engineering, mentored by Soheil Saedi. “An Investigation on the Effects of Heat Treatment Process on Phase Transformation of NiTi Shape Memory Alloys”
• Evan Angle, computer science/physics, mentored by Albert Baker. “Can Enhanced VR Display Resolution Impact Application Effectiveness?”

Honorary Signature Experience Award winners

• Gary Morries, biology, mentored by Scott Woolbright. “Survey of Climate Relict Populations of Varied Groundsnakes (Sonora semiannulatum) from Rare Arkansas Glade Ecosystems.”
• Madison Victoria Rodgers, political science, mentored by Rebecca Glazier. “Engagement and Religion among Little Rock Congregations:  The Reciprocal Relationship between Community Involvement and Political Involvement”
• Christopher Tate, post-bac nursing, mentored by Leigh Snead. “Students’ Perceptions and Skills Performance in Two Student-led Emergency Simulated Scenarios”
• Elizabeth Jarrott, nursing, mentored by Leigh Snead. “Students’ Perceptions and Skills Performance in Two Student-led Emergency Simulated Scenarios.”
• Laura Ruiz Astorga, international studies and psychology, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “Women’s Empowerment in Conflict-Affected Societies”
• Victoria Yvonne McHargue, biology/chemistry/ American sign language, mentored by John Bush. “Using Bacteriophages for Potential Bio-remediation for a Water Source”
• Allie Woodville, political science and anthropology, mentored by Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm. “The Syrian Refugee Crisis and Information Technology: From a Public Involvement Perspective”
• Katie Matthews, biology, mentored by Scott Woolbright. “Soil Microbial Communities Associated with a Prairie Restoration in Northwest Arkansas.”
• Taylor Hudson, mechanical engineering technology, mentored by Ashokkumar M. Sharma. “Design Modification, Construction and Testing of Ram Pump – A Performance Improvement Study”

UA Little Rock student Sylvia Szwedo talks about her chemistry project during the 2018 Student Research and Creative Works Showcase. Photo by Benjamin Krain